Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1887-12-16
THE OLD HOMESTEAD.
Visited for the First Time in Six
teen Years.

teen Years.
Hello, Jim! Where have YOU been
latelyp" shouted a broker the other
evening to a portly, iincly-dressed man
in the corridor of the ST. James. The
gentleman stopped, shook hands with
his friend, and replied: "Ivc been
home to see my old father and mother,
the first time in sixteen years, and I'll
tell you, old man, l wouldn't have
missed The visit for all my fortune"
"Kndcr good to visit your boyhood
home, eh?"
"You bet. Sit down. l was Just
thinking about the old folks and feel
talkativc If you have n few moments
TO spare, sit down, light cigar, and
listen 10 n story of rich man who
had almost forgotten his father and
MOTHER
They sat down and the man told his
story.
'How | came to1visit my home hap
pcned in curious way. Six week ago
went down TO Fre Island fishing. /
had lunch put up at Crook & Nash's.
and you can imagine my astonishment
when l opened the hamper to find u
package of crackers wrapped up in n
piece of newspaper. That newspaper
was the little country weekly published
nt my home in Wisconsin. l read
every word in it. advertisements and
all. There was George Kellogg, who
was schoolmnte of mine, advertising
hams and salt pork, and another boy
was postmaster. BY George! it made
me homcsick, and | determined then
and there to go home, and go home l
did.
''In the first place l must tell you
how | came to New York. had tiff
with my father and left home. l
finally turned up in New York with n
dollar in my pocket got a job run
ming freight elevator in the very
- house in which am now partner.
My haste to get rich drove the thoughts
OF my parents from me, and when l did
think of them the hard words that my
father last spoke to me ranked in my
bosom. Well, / went home. didn't
see much change in Chicago, but the
magnificent new depot in Milwaukee |
thought was an improvement on the
old shed that they used to have. 1t
was only thirty miles from Milwaukee
to my home, and / tell you, John, that
train seemed to creep. was actually
worse than school-boy going home
for vacation. AT last we ncared the
town. Familiar sights met my eyes,
and, darn it all. they filed with tears.
There was Bill LYMAN red barn, just
the same, but, great Scott! what were
all of the other houses? We rode near
ly n mile before coming TO the depot,
through houses where only OCCASION
ally i saw one that was familiar. The
town had grown to ten times its size
when Iknew it. The train stopped and
jumped off. Not face in sight that
knew, and started down the plat
form TO go home. In the Office door
stood the station agent. 1 walked up
and said: 'Howdy, Mr.. Collins?
HE stared Mt me and replied:
II told him who was and what had
been doing in New York, and ie didn't
make any bones in talking to me. Said
he: '1.'s about time you came home.
You is New York rich, and your father
scratching gravel to get n bare living
al tell you, John, it knocked me all
in n heap. | thought my father had
enough to live on comfortably. Then
notion struck me. Before going homo
telegraphed to Chicago to one of our
correspondents to send me 81, 600 by
first mail. ThenI went into Mr.. Col
Inns back office, got my trunk in there,
and put an old hand-me-down suit that
used for fishing and hunting. My
plug hat replaced by soft hat, took
my valise in my hand, and went home.
Somehow the place didn't look right.
The currant bushes had been dug up
from the front yard and the fence
was gone. All the old locust trees had
been cut down and young naples were
planted. The bouse looked smaller
somehow, too. But ! went up to the
front door and raBg the bell. Mother
came to the door aud said: We don't
wish to buy any thing to-day, SIR
at didn't take minute to survey
her from head to foot. Neatly dressed,
John, but n patch and darn here and
there, her hair streaked with gray, her
face thin, drawn and wrinkled. Yet
over her eyeglasses shone those good.
honest, benevolent eyes. / stood star
ing at her and then she began staring
Mt me. / saw the blood rush to her
face, and then with great sob she
threw herself upon me aud nervously
clasped me around the neck, hysterical-
ly crying: "It's Jimmy! it's Jimmy"
"Thcn | cried, too. John. ] Just
broke down and cried like baby. She
got me into the house, hugging and
kissing me, and then she went to the
back door and shouted 'Gcorger
"Father came in moment and from
the kitchen asked, What do you want,
Car'linep'
"Then he came in. He knew me in
moment. He stuck out his hand and
grasped mine. and said, sternly: Well,
young man. do you propose to behave
yourself nowP'
Hc tried to put on brave front. but
DO broke down, There we three sat